The members of the Association for the Improvement of Mass-Transit (Transit) wish to comment on the issue of whether or not bus lanes worsen congestion on the roads in Kuala Lumpur.

The issue pays particular attention to Jalan Syed Putra and the Lingkaran Syed Putra and expresses the frustration about the poor design of the bus lanes, the impact on car drivers, and the way that police and DBKL enforcement officers use the bus lanes.

They also complain about congestion building up from the bus stop opposite the Mid-Valley Megamall.

Transit believes that bus lanes are a wise investment for federal, state and local governments to make, and that the number of bus lanes along major roads in cities across Malaysia should be increased wherever possible. If they are well-used, a single bus lane can move far more people than a mixed-traffic lane. By separating different types of traffic, the flow of traffic is generally improved. Also, the presence of bus lanes has a calming effect on traffic. Less lane changing also means fewer delays for motorists.

At the same time, we recognise that there are weaknesses in the way that bus lanes are introduced and implemented in the Klang Valley and we realise that if Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the Federal Territories Ministry, Spad and the public transport operators do not work to overcome these weaknesses, bus lanes will not be able to reach their full potential for moving people who use public transport.

The first weakness is related to the competitive, entrepreneurial model of public transport that is used in Malaysia. Because the majority of bus operators must maximise profits, they are more likely to wait at spots where there are many potential passengers - such as opposite Mid-Valley Megamall in KL or opposite Sunway Pyramid in Bandar Sunway.

By shifting from a competitive, entrepreneurial model to a competitive, service-based model, we can reduce the number of delays at bus stops.

The second issue is the type of bus-lanes themselves. Generally, the bus lanes in the Klang Valley are painted kerb-side bus lanes, which are often not complete and can be easily blocked by parked vehicles. A stroll next to the DBKL building on Jalan Raja Laut will show many DBKL vehicles blocking the bus lane. Frankly, without effective enforcement, bus lanes cannot move people effectively.

The best solution to reduce the number of vehicles blocking the bus lanes is to physically separate the bus lanes from the regular traffic using kerbs or bollards. Also, contra-flow lanes will discourage other vehicles from using the bus lanes.

The last issue is that bus lanes are not given their proper place in the hierarchy of lanes on our roadways. Because a bus can carry 60 people, 10 times more than a car, bus lanes should be placed in the centre of our highways and expressways to move more people.

It is time for the Federal Territories Ministry, Spad, state governments, DBKL and local councils rethink how we design our roads and expressways. Instead of focusing on moving vehicles, we should focus on moving as many people, as quickly as possible.

Placing bus lanes in the centre of the highway and physically separating the bus lanes from other traffic will allow the buses to move at high speed, and encourage service that is more frequent, punctual and reliable. In addition, there will be reduced congestion because of the increased flow of traffic in the other lanes of the highways and roadways.

Physically separated bus lanes means that there will be no lane changes, so this will reduce a major cause of congestion. Also, using contra-flow lanes will allow the buses to share space, so the bus lanes can be narrower. This means that other traffic will have more space available. Wider lanes mean that traffic can flow at a faster rate.

Finally, instead of having bus stops at the side of our highways, we can build 'stations' with platforms in the centre of the highways. These will be more comfortable and safer for public transport users and having fewer bus stops at the sides of the highway would allow the highways to be widened in certain stretches.

If the Road Transport Act can be amended to encourage these improved bus lanes, we will see more reliable public transport service and reduced congestion on our highways and roadways. This will help our roads & highways become more effective at moving people and moving the economy.

Transit invites your readers to comment on our proposal for improved bus lanes. Simply email us at [email protected] or comment here .

The writer represents Transit.